This invention relates to dietary supplements. More particularly, this invention relates to supplements which will stimulate the immune system without producing an allergic response.
Recently, evidence has been accumulating that herbal supplements, taken regularly, may have beneficial effects. Herbal supplements, unlike medicines, are not effective instantaneously but must be taken over long periods of time in order to be effective. In other words, it takes time to create an effect in humans. There are many products on the market that claim to stimulate the immune system but the research behind such products seems to be borderline at best. See article on functional food to be published in California agriculture 2000, probably in November 2000 issue. Stimulating the immune system is a perfect application for herbal supplements because the immune system can be improved gradually. An improved immune system can be beneficial in fighting all kinds of illnesses from the common cold to deadly cancers.
Unfortunately, many herbal supplements can create an allergic response in humans. What is needed is a dietary supplement or herbal supplements that can stimulate the human immune system without inducing an allergic response. It is also important that this product have been properly tested for efficacy. Development of an herbal supplement that can stimulate the immune system without producing an allergic response presents a great improvement in the field of medicine and satisfies a long felt need of medical practitioners and of their patients.
In detail, the invention concerns an immune system stimulator compositions comprising Hericium, Radix Astragali, Cordyceps Sinensus, Radix Glycyrrhizae and Dioscoreae Oppositae. The invention particularly concerns such immune system stimulator compositions wherein the compositions comprise 5-80% by weight Hericium, 5-40% by weight Radix Astragali, 5-40% by weight Cordyceps Sinensus, 1-40% by weight Radix Glycyrrhizae and 5-40% by weight Dioscoreae Oppositae, and more particularly, The immune system stimulator of claim 1, wherein said stimulator comprises 40-70% by weight Hericium, 10-50% by weight Radix Astragali, 5-30% by weight Cordyceps Sinensus, 1-30% by weight Radix Glycyrrhizae and 5-30% by weight Dioscoreae Oppositae. 
The invention is particularly concerned with embodiments of such compositions, wherein all ingredients are powdered, and/or wherein a biologically effective amount of the ingredients are present in a biologically effective amount per dose (preferably containing 100 mg total amount per dose).
The invention is particularly concerned with embodiments of the above compositions in which a biologically effective amount of the ingredients are incorporated into a pill, a capsule, or a gel cap (preferably containing 100 mg total amount per dose).
The invention additionally concerns a method of making an immune system stimulator comprising the steps of:
(a) obtaining powdered Hericium, Radix Astragali, Cordyceps Sinensus, Radix Glycyrrhizae, and Dioscoreae Oppositae; and
(b) mixing 5-80% by weight Hericium, 5-40% by weight Radix Astragali, 5-40% by weight Cordyceps Sinensus, 1-40% by weight Radix Glycyrrhizae and 5-40% by weight Dioscoreae Oppositae together.
The invention is particularly concerned with embodiments of the above methods wherein method further comprises formulating biologically effective amounts of the ingredients of the mixture into a pill, a capsule, or a gel cap (preferably containing 100 mg total amount per dose).
The invention further provides a method of stimulating the immune system of a human or other mammal comprising providing to the human or other mammal a biologically effective amount of an immune system stimulator comprising Hericium, Radix Astragali, Cordyceps Sinensus, Radix Glycyrrhizae and Dioscoreae Oppositae. The invention particularly concerns the embodiment of such method wherein the stimulator comprises a biologically effective amount of an immune system stimulator comprising 5-80% by weight Hericium, 5-40% by weight Radix Astragali, 5-40% by weight Cordyceps Sinensus, 1-40% by weight Radix Glycyrrhizae and 5-40% by weight Dioscoreae Oppositae, and more particularly, wherein the stimulator comprises 40-70% by weight Hericium, 10-50% by weight Radix Astragali, 5-30% by weight Cordyceps Sinensus, 1-30% by weight Radix Glycyrrhizae and 5-30% by weight Dioscoreae Oppositae. The invention particularly concerns the embodiment of such method wherein the biologically effective dose comprises 100 mg.